Gas-producer.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

0. J. ATKINSON.

GAS PRODUCER APPLICATION FILED our. 17, 1907.

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GYRIL J. ATKINSON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GAS-PRODUCER.

Application filed October 17, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, CYRIL J. ATKINSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to gas producers and more particularly to the grates or fuel supports thereof.

The object in view is to provide a construction of grate which will facilitate the removal of ashes, which will effectually prevent the formation of clinkers about the grate bars and will be readily adjustable with respect to the distance between its top and the bot tom of the bosh in order to accommodate itself to varying sizes of fuel, and will permit of the bodily descent of the fuel column thereby promoting a more even and complete combustion of the fuel and secure a higher efficiency and a more uniform quality of gas. These and other advantages of the improved construction will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a gas producer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the lower portion of a producer taken on a plane transverse of the plane of the preceding section and shows a modified form of grate or table.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing in side elevation the lower end of the rock shaft lever, and Fig. 4 represents a similar view taken transversely of the rock shaft on the line 44 of Fig. 1 and is designed to show the adjusting latch and retaining notches in the collar fixed to said rock shaft.

The improvement is shown in connection with a producer of the suction type but it is applicable equally as well to producers of other types.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the metal wall of the producer, 2 the cover therefor and 3 a diaphragm which extends across the body of the producer and near the base thereof, this diaphragm forming a table support and also the bottom of the ash pit. Some distance above the diaphragm 3 and secured to the wall 1 of the producer is an angle iron 4 which constitutes a support for the bosh 5. Upon the horizontal portion 6 of the .bosh rests the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 397,822.

refractory lining 7 of the furnace and between this lining and the wall 1 of the producer is interposed a secondary insulating lining 8 of mineral wool. On the tapering portion 9 of the bosh rests the outer edge of the fuel column while the lower or inner margin of such tapering portion is sur rounded by the annular channel 10 in which is placed water to be evaporated to aid in the combustion of the fuel and the formation of gas as is well understood, the water being in troduced through a pipe or other suitable means not shown, since this feature is not essential. The space within the wall 1 below the bosh 5, and above the diaphragm 3 forms the ash pit 11, the refractory walls 7 inclose the combustion chamber 12, while above said combustion chamber is the fuel magazine l3. and the upper flaring margin of the refractory lining 7 is left an annular shaped passageway 14 through which the gas escapes from the combustion chamber. This passageway terminates in the gas chamber 15 from whence the gas is conducted through the pipe 16 to the economizer, vaporizer, scrubber, or other device, where it may receive various treatments previous to use, such devices not being shown however as they are not pertinent in this connection.

Above the fuel magazine 13 and secured to the cover 2 is the charging device comprising the hopper 17 provided with the tight fitting removable cover 18, the bell 19 located at the bottom of the hopper, the horizontally extending counterbalanced lever 20 pivotally mounted in said hopper and the link 21 connecting said bell and lever.

A door 22 provided with a slide-covered sight-hole 23 opens into the ash-pit 11 and entering the ash pit also is the air induction pi e 24.

n the ash pit 11 upon the dia hragm 3 is supported the vertically movab e imperforate table 25 which constitutes the chief novel feature of this invention. This table is provided with the table stem or standard 26, which engages an aperture in and is guided by the casting 27 secured to the diaphragm 3. The table 25 has formed on its upper face a beveled flange-like projection 25 with a cored passageway 28 for the introduction of the air leading from the interior of this projection downward through the stem and communicating with the ash pit below the table. Over this flange-like projection fits the con- Between the wall of this magazine ical shaped hollow bonnet 25 provided with laterally extending air passageways forming in effect continuations of the air passage 28. Through these inlets air is introduced through the ash bed to the combustion chamber and the conical shaped bonnet serves to crowd the ashes from the table as the latter is being raised. A depending flange 29 isformed on the under side of the casting 27 in which journals the inner end of a rock shaft 30, the outer end thereof being journaled in the bearing 31. To this rock shaft directly beneath the stem 26 is fixed the table moving cam 32, the said cam engaging a groove 26 formed in the lower end of the said stem so that rocking movement of said shaft will cause the table or grate 25 to be raised or lowered. The tapering surface 9 of the bosh 5 thus forms a fuel support for the exterior portion of the fuel column, with a central opening through which the solid. products of combustion pass. The tapered portion of the bosh adjacent the opening also presents, on its lower surface, a general outwardly, an upwardly flaring or tapering surface, while directly beneath the bosh opening on the table 25 and in a central position, is located the conical bonnet 25, which presents a surface that is upwardly and inwardly inclined. Oppositely inclined coacting surfaces are thus provided, which, in conjunction with the table, operate through the vertical move ment of the latter to remove the ashes, etc, from the combustion chamber. It will also be seen that the table 25 is of a larger diameter than the bosh opening.

To provide means for rocking the shaft 30 and foradjusting the limits of its rocking movement and hence the limits of movement of the table, the following means are employed: A collar 33 is fixed to the shaft 30 outside the producer wall and adjacent the bearing 31, this collar being provided with a series of notches 33 adapted to be en aged by a spring actuated latch 34 as cl early shown in Fig. 4. The latch is mounted in an outwardly projecting lug 31 cast integral with the bearing 31, and when the arm 34 of said latch is de ressed with the foot of the operator, the col ar 33 and shaft 30 will be free to turn, but when the latch is in engagement with said collar, the shaft will be rotatively fixed. Adjacent to the collar 33 is loosely mounted on the rock shaft the operating lever 35 which is rovided with a series of apertures 35 in the oss thereof as shown in Fig. 3. A second collar 36 is secured to the outer end of the rock shaft 30, this collar being provided with an aperture adapted to register with any one of the series of apertures.35 in the boss of the lever 35. By thrusting a pin 37 through the aperture in the collar 36 and having its inner end engage one of the series of apertures in the lever 35, the upper and lower limits of the table movement can readily be adjusted or varied with respect to agiven throw of thelever 35. Such adjustment becomes desirable when changing the quality of the fuel, for instance in changing from coarse to fine fuel the normal distance between the face of the table 25 and the lower edge of the bosh 5 should be less, hence the lever 35 would be adjusted as be fore described so that when in normal position it would give the required position to the table. From normal position the table can be either raised or lowered as indicated in Fig. 1 where the full line position indicates working position, 25 its lower limit of movement with the lever 35 set as shown and 25* the upper limit of movement. In lowering the table, the fuel column will lower with it, but on being raised, the-ashes will be forced or crowded out between the upper face of the grate and the lower rim of the bosh, the bonnet 25 operating to crowd the ashes laterally and render the action of the table in discharging the ashes more effective. If clinkers should form in the combustion chamber, the table is raised to the position 25 in which position the clinkers can be broken up with a poker and stirred out when again lowered without the loss of any fuel. i

If in cleaning the combustion chamber of ashes and in lowering the table 25, it is found that the fuel column does not follow the table, the bell 19 is pressed down upon the fuel by lifting the lever 20 and in this way the fuel column is forced positively downward upon the table.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modified construction of the table, the modification consisting in omitting the conical shaped bonnet with its air inlets from the upper surface of the table. When cleaning the fire with this form of table, the ashes will be crowded out between {)he 1rlnargin of the table and the bottom of the By means of the construction as thus described, the fuel column is-allowed to descend bodily, keeping it compact and preventing the formation of clinkers, an even distribution of the air supply to the incandescent fuel bed is secured and a quick adjustment of the distance between the top of the table and the bosh is obtained. The fact that the fire can be cleaned by manipulating the lever 35 outside of the frunace and without opening the door to the ash pit enables a more uniform quality of gas to be produced.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gas producer, in combination, a combustion chamber, a bosh located at the lower end thereof and presenting on its under side an inverted, conical shaped surface, a vertically movable fuel supporting table comprising a central, conical portion and a surrounding flat portion which undercombustion chamber provided with a bosh lies the said bosh, the said conical surface of the bosh and the table cooperating to force the ashes from the latter when it is raised, and means for imparting vertical movement l to said table, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a gas producer, in combination, a combustion. chamber, a tapering bosh located at the lower end thereof for supporting the outer portion of the fuel column, the said bosh presenting on its under side an inverted, conical shaped surface, a vertically movable fuel supporting table directly underlying the conical surface of said bosh, the said conical surface of the bosh and the table cooperating to force the ashes from the latter when raised, and means for imparting ver tical movement to said table, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a gas producer, in combination, a combustion chamber provided with a bosh having a central opening therethrough, said bosh presenting on its lower surface adjacent said bosh opening a'general outwardly and upwardly tapering surface, a vertically movable table arranged beneath said opening and spaced a slight distance therebelow whereby a lateral discharge opening is formed between the lower margin of the bosh and the upper surface of the table, and means for varying the distance of said table from said bosh for effecting the discharge of the solid materials through said discharge opening, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a gas producer, in combination, a

having a central opening therethrough, said bosh presenting on its lower surface adjacent said bosh opening a general outwardly and upwardly tapering surface, a vertically movable imperforate table arranged beneath said i opening and spaced a slight distance therebelow whereby a lateral discharge opening is formed between the lower margin of the bosh and the upper surface of the table, said table being provided on its upper surface and centrally thereof, with an upwardly and inwardly inclined surface directly beneath said bosh opening, and means for varying the distance of said table from said bosh for effecting the discharge of the solid material through the lateral discharge opening, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a gas producer, in combination, a combustion chamber provided with a bosh having a central opening therethrough, a vertically movable table arranged beneath said opening and spaced a slight distance therefrom whereby a lateral discharge opening is formed between the lower margin of the bosh and the upper surface of the table, the said table being provided on its upper face with an upwardly and inwardly inclined surface located directly beneath the bosh opening, and means for imparting vertical movement to said table, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a gas producer, in combination, a combustion chamber provided with a bosh having a central opening therethrough, a vertically movable, imperforate table arranged beneath said bosh opening, the said bosh on its lower furface and the table on its upper surface presenting opposing and oppositely inclined tapering surfaces, and means for imparting vertical movement to said table whereby the opening formed between it and the bosh may be adjusted, substantially as and for the purpose described.

OYRIL J. ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

H. C. CoWEN, A. L. STACY. 

